Spy Shots: 2009 Ford Fiesta on U.S. soil
by John Neff on Jun 7th 2007 at 11:04AM 
click on image above to view both spy shots of the 2009 Ford Fiesta
KGP photographers are the first to have caught the 2009 Ford Fiesta testing on American soil. These shots give us, and many Europeans, our first look at the sub-Focus car that will be sold in both Europe and the U.S. As we learned back in March when Ford announced the new European Fiesta would also be sold in the U.S., the two cars will be virtually identical save for a little longer nose on the U.S. version to meet our own crash safety standards. Based on the same platform as the Mazda2, the new Fiesta will wear a more conventional look that will likely please the masses more than the Mazda's swoopy design. Though the camo does its best confuse the corneas, we can definitely make out pronounced wheel arches on the car, and a more typical set of rear taillamps that don't climb up the C-pillar like on the Focus. While rear overhang is virtually absent, the nose on this test mule does project far out in front of the lead wheels, which implies that Ford may be far along in making the design and engineering tweaks necessary to sell the Fiesta in the U.S. While there's no clear shot of the Fiesta's face this time, one can clearly see the influence of Ford of Europe's design language in the shape of the headlights and the grille. Our sources say we'll get no three-bar grille, as the Fiesta marks the first official comingling of Ford's Red, White and Bold (U.S.) and Kinetic (Europe) design themes in the same market. Though the Fiesta isn't expected to go on sale until at least late next year as a 2009 model, we want to know if you think it will be worth the wait.
[Photos: KGP Photography - do not republish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
waitingforvizzini 11:09AM (6/07/2007)
mpg? engine choices? anybody?
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Aprime1 11:15AM (6/07/2007)
"we want to know if you think it will be worth the wait."
Uh, no.
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Mark 11:26AM (6/07/2007)
Just FYI for anyone who cares, but this thing looks nothing like any of the internal photos I've seen. Not that it really matters because it's camouflaged up the wazoo but it looks like they threw a bunch of Focus parts on the new Fiesta platform. The door definitely looks like the one from the 05 Focus. If you want specs just look at the Mazda. They won't be too far off.
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Igor Holas 11:23AM (6/07/2007)
I do not think this is the new body at all .. The new Fiesta and the new MAzda2 are on the same structure - this looks completely different and old .. Ford OE would not DARE to build something this bland - and we are getting the EU Fiesta practically unchanged ... so this is either a mule with some old body on top, or a Braziliam model in US for confirmatory testing.
engine will be 1.5 - 1.6l Ford NA has 3 options and it is unclear which one they will go with
Igor
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LGM 11:26AM (6/07/2007)
This is not the new Fiesta, this is the new Ford Ka to brazilian market, it's totally the same car saw here in tests in Ford's plant - Camaçari - Bahia. It has the same windows from actual Ford Ka, but quite bigger, "he" will launch as the cheaper Ford to fight against Chevrolet Celta, Fiat Palio Fire and Reanult Logan...
Trust me, its not the new US Fiesta.
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James Valley 4:02PM (6/07/2007)
We had a nice Fiesta here in Europe... now, for what I see, it's gonna be UScraptastic.
What's with those proportions? It's like a previous generation Opel Corsa... and those tiny wheels?
I've already forgoten about the car... it's ruined. But great for the 'mericans: it will be perfect, side by side with your Focus.
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Aprime1 11:27AM (6/07/2007)
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/1493/carphoto2122515jf1.jpg
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/2332/carphoto2122525lb0.jpg
^^ look more like it to me.
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ClutchCargo 12:30PM (6/07/2007)
Boy, yet another load of crap writing. Not even close on the info.
david damn 6:28PM (6/07/2007)
Holy cow, those image shack pictures are awesome. If that's the new fiesta, I'll buy it the day it goes on sale. Please God, let that be the car we get in the US, not that ugly black and white cow.
bmoredlj 11:34AM (6/07/2007)
I agree with LGM...after looking at photos of the current-gen Fiesta, I can't imagine this thing being it's replacement, let alone a U.S. version. Camo aside, the current Fiesta looks newer, and better, than this! The profile resembles a '96 Geo Metro...hardly cutting-edge design.
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LGM 11:36AM (6/07/2007)
Sorry, correcting: the doors and rear windows are the same from actual Ka, the car is bigger than actual Ka. But at first it'll have tree doors, as the mule.
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Mr. McDonough 12:02PM (6/07/2007)
Sweet fancy mother of wheel gaps!
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Landy 12:18PM (6/07/2007)
This may be anything - but it's not the new European Fiesta!
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Nellydesign 12:27PM (6/07/2007)
Having seen the Euro fiesta, have to say this isn't it. This is sub B-car class.
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Spud 12:28PM (6/07/2007)
Looks, um... good?
Ford's in more trouble than previously thought if anything remotely similar to that car winds up for sale in a Ford dealership.
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Hamud 1:11PM (6/07/2007)
The wheels are the same used by the Fiesta here in Brazil. The car looks nice but I guess it isn't the new Fiesta.
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atu 1:16PM (6/07/2007)
i've met the current fiesta. i've seen spy pix of the new fiesta. my friend, what you have here is no fiesta.
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djt 3:22PM (6/07/2007)
To paraphrase the soldiers on the castle ramparts in Monty Python's "Holy Grail" movie: ".....i fart in your general direction..."...ugh.....even with the spy cloak, (which should be a part of the retail offering) that thing is PLUG UGLY......
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Steve B. 6:22PM (6/07/2007)
THis looks way more like the Fiesta's smaller cousin, the Ka. A Fiesta is indeed small by US standards, but it ain't THAT small!
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adelossa 4:56PM (6/07/2007)
Somehow, this leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
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